Feathering device for boat oars



Apzrfl 1 1, 1939.

- F. WAGELE FEATHERING DEVICE FOR BOAT OARS Filed Nov. 23,- 1937 INVENTOR 7 122 I ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 11, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 5 Claims.

This invention relates to oar locks for rowboats.

It is an object of the invention to provide an oar lock and an oar for use particularly therewith which will materially assist in feathering of the car during rowing thereby conserving the strength of the rower and enabling the latter to maintain a high stroke cadence without becoming fatigued.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the class described which is capable of producing perceptible signals which will acquaint the rower of the position of the car blade at any given time during the cycle of a stroke.

A further object of the invention is to provide an oar lock and an oar particularly adapted for use therewith which is beneficial in teaching.

beginners the proper use of oars in rowing.

The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage some of which, together with the foregoing, will be specifically set forth in the detailed description of the invention hereunto annexed. It is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the particular form thereof shown and described as various other embodiments thereof may be employed within the scope of the appended claims.

Referring to the drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective View of my improved oar lock, and the oar particularly adapted for use therewith, mounted on a boat. Only a portion of the boat is shown and portions of the oar structure are omitted to conserve space in the drawing and to disclose the construction more clearly.

Figure 2 is a front elevational view, partly in section, of the oar lock and shows the position of the oar with respect thereto during a power stroke.

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 showing the position of the oar with respect to the oar lock during the recovery stroke.

In detail, the invention comprises a C-shaped bracket 4 provided with parallel upper and lower arms 6 and l, the latter of which is fitted with a pair of spaced pins 8 depending therefrom which are insertable in suitable spaced apertures provided in the g'unwale 9 of a boat so as to fixedly mount the bracket on the latter. Mounted for pivotal motion, in a horizontal plane, on the bracket 4 is a U-shaped car look comprising parallel side members H and I2 formed integrally with a bottom member I 3. The oar lock is mounted on the bracket 4 by means of pivot pins l4 and [6 the former of which is fixed in the bracket arm 1 and enters an aperture 17, located adjacent the junction of the side and bottom members H and i3 of the oar lock, and the latter of which is formed at the end of a screw it, threadedly engaged with the upper bracket arrri 6, and enters an aperture provided therefor at the extreme upper end of the side member ll of the oar lock. The screw l8' provides means for retracting the pivot pin it from its aperture so as to permit dismounting of the oar look from the bracket 4 and a lock nut I9 is provided on the screw I8 so that the pivot pin it, when correctly positioned in its aperture, may be locked in place. It will be observed that the respective apertures for the pivot pins l4 and I6 are so positioned that the side member ll of the oar lock is inclined from the vertical. The bottom member I3 of the oar lock is positioned truly horizontal thereby forming an acute angle with the side member H. The reason for this construction will be presently described.

Adapted for positioning in the oar lock, by insertion through the upper open side of the latter, is the shaft 2! of an ear provided with the usual blade 22, which may be the conventional straight type as shown or the curved spoon type used in racing oars, a grip which is not shown and a collar 23 which bears against protuberances 24 formed on each of the side members H and H! of the oar look so as to limit longitudinal movement of the oar with respect to the oar lock. The collar is an integral part of the oar but has been indicated by dotted lines in the drawing 50 as not to obscure more important features of the structure. The oar shaft, in the portion thereof within the oar lock, is substantially oval in cross section and has a portion of its periphery shaped to provide a flat surface 26 which lies parallel to the plane 21 passing through the blade 22. A sheath 28., preferably of leather, is providedi about the portion of the oar shaft within the car look so as to prevent chafing and rapid wear of the shaft as the oar is plied.

In Figure 2 the position of the oar with respect to the oar lock is shown during the performance of a power stroke. In this position the oar blade 22 is vertical with respect to the surface of the water and the leather sheath along the flat side 26 of the oar shaft is resting against the surface of the side member H. At the completion of the power stroke and to positionthe oar blade to be easily moved through or out of the water during the recovery stroke, the oar shaft is given a quarter turn in a counter-clockwise direction, as viewed in Figure 2, until the blade 22 assumes a horizontal position as shown in Figure 3 and the flat portion of the shaft is resting on the top surface of the bottom member l3 of the car look. It will be noted that when the car is being pulled through its power stroke, as shown in Figure 2, the plane 21 parallel with the broad side of the blade 22 is disposed angularly with the vertical as indicated by the line This is caused by the inclination of the oar lock side member H which positions the oar so that its direction of thrust is along the line 3| which slopes upwardly, from the horizontal, toward the forward end of the boat so as to produce an action which tends to lift the boat from the water thereby lessening its displacement during its forward movement and increasing the speed at which it is capable of being propelled.

Means is provided which produces perceptible signals during rotation of the car from propelling to recovery positions and which assists in main taining the car in either of these positions. The upper end of the car look side member I2 is extended and is provided with a head 32 having spaced apertures 33 therein adapted to receive and journal a pivot pin 34 which is slotted at one end to receive and hold one end 36 of a leaf spring, the opposite end 31 of which rests and presses against the oar shaft so as to urge the latter downwardly into the oar lock. The portion of the spring intermediate its ends is provided with an S-shaped bend 38 to produce the desired resilience. Built up on a portion of the periphery of the oar shaft, removed from the flattened portion 26 thereof, is a protuberance 39 which, as the shaft is rotated between its operative positions, causes flexing of the spring so as to exert a maximum of effort tending to urge the oar against the surfaces of the oar look. This flexing of the spring to increase the compression thereof also serves to give impetus to the rotation of the oar shaft as the protuberance 39 passes under the end 31 of the spring with the result that the rower, in feeling these impulses, is notified that the car is passing from one position thereof to the other. The two apertures 32, for the reception of the spring pivot pin 33, are provided so that a variation in the degree of flexing of the spring may be had in order to provide for greater pressure tending to urge the oar shaft into engagement with the oar lock or to intensify the perceptible signals created by the coacting protuberance 39 and the spring and the impetus given the car when passing from one position to the other.

With the improve car look and car of my in vention above described, any person is enabled to quickly grasp the fundamentals of rowing technique and will, in a short time, be able to handle oars correctly in the conventional type of car look. The car look and car find particular utility in racing craft as they enable each man of the crew to maintain the correct rotation of the cars between the power and recovery strokes, to maintain a higher stroke cadence without fatigue than is provided with the conventional type of oar and oarlock, and, by correctly feathering the oar at the transition of one stroke intoanother, to prevent breaking water by any one oarsman with the likelihood of throwing the others out of rhythm.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. The combination of an oar lock having a pair of adjacent angularly related surfaces, an oar having a surface complementary to each of said oar lock surfaces and movable into alternate engagement with either thereof, a compressible spring carried by said car look and engaging a surface of the oar, and means on said car for compressing said spring during movement of said complementary oar surface to engage both of said oar lock surfaces.

2. The combination of an oar having a blade and a shaft connected with and extending from said blade, said shaft having thereon a flattened surface in parallel relation to a broad surface of said blade, an oar lock for receiving said oar shaft comprising an upright inclined member and a horizontal member formed integrally with said upright member, said upright and horizontal members being engageable alternately by the flattened surface of said oar shaft, and means to urge said flattened surface against either of said members.

3. The combination of an oar having a blade and a shaft connected with and extending from said blade, said shaft having thereon a flattened surface in parallel relation to a broad surface of said blade, an car look for receiving said oar shaft and in which said shaft may be rotated comprising a U-shaped member enclosing said oar shaft having an upright inclined side and a horizontal bottom formed integrally with said side, said bottom and side being engageable alternately with the flattened surface of said oar shaft as the latter is rotated in said car look, and a spring pivotally mounted at one end on said car look and, at the other end, contacting said oar shaft for urging the flattened surface thereof into engagement with either said inclined side or horizontal bottom of said car look.

4. In combination, an oar lock comprising a U-shaped member having an upright inclined side and horizontal bottom extending from said side, an oar, having a shaft provided with a flattened portion positioned for axial rotation adjacent the side and bottom of the oar lock, 2. spring pivotally mounted at one end thereof on said oar lock and having the other end thereof resting on the periphery of said oar shaft, said spring urging the flattened portion of said oar shaft into engagement with either said side or bottom of the car look and contacting a prescribed path on the periphery of the car shaft as the latter is rotated in the car look, and a protuberance rising from the periphery of said oar shaft in the path of contact of said spring.

5. In combination, a C-shaped bracket adapted for fixed mounting on a portion of a boat, an oar lock pivotally mounted on said bracket, said oar lock comprising a U-shaped member having an upright inclined side and horizontal bottom extending from said side, an oar, having a shaft provided with a flattened portion, positioned for axial rotation adjacent the side and bottom of the car lock, a spring pivotally mounted at one end thereof on said oar lock and having the other end thereof resting on the periphery of said oar shaft, said spring urging the flattened portion of said oar shaft into engagement with either said side or bottom of the car look and contacting a prescribed path on the periphery of the oar shaft as the latter is rotated in the car look, and a protuberance rising from the periphery of said oar shaft in the path of contact of said spring for engaging and flexing said spring during rotation of said oar shaft.

FRED WAGELE. 

